Marc Crawford

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE “DAVID CHASE” TO APPRECIATE THE JOB SECURITY OF COACHS IN THE NHL…
IT’S LIKE SOMETHING…RIGHT OUT OF “THE SOPRANOS”…
YESTERDAY THE HEAD COACH OF THE DALLAS STARS DAVE TIPPETT WAS FIRED…
TODAY TIPPETT WAS REPLACED WITH MARC CRAWFORD…
THAT MAKES 5 COACHING CHANGES SINCE THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON…
AND A TOTAL OF “19” CHANGES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS…
BUT HERE’S THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NHL AND THE SOPRANOS…
IN THE NHL IT’S GOOD TO GET “WHACKED”…
CHECK THIS OUT…
TIPPETT STILL HAS 2 YEARS LEFT ON HIS CONTRACT…
WHICH MEANS…FOR THE NEXT 24 MONTHS HE CAN…
GO TO THE BEACH…GO TO VEGAS…OR GO TO WORK FOR HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA…AND STILL GET PAID…
THIS SEASON CRAWFORD RECEIVED TWO PAY CHEQUES…
ONE FROM THE L.A. KINGS…AND ANOTHER FROM CBC…
NO PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEAGUE…SPENDS MORE MONEY ON COACHES…NOT TO COACH!!!
IT WOULD APPEAR…THE NHL HAS ADOPTED THE…”ONE STRIKE…AND YOU’RE OUT” POLICY…
DAVE TIPPETT HAD SPENT 6 YEARS IN DALLAS…
IN THAT TIME THE STARS WERE 115 GAMES OVER .500…
THEY HAD WON 2 DIVISIONAL TITLES…
AND LAST YEAR TOOK DALLAS RIGHT TO THE CONFERENCE FINAL…
THIS SEASON WAS THE FIRST…AND ONLY TIME…THE STARS MISSED THE PLAYOFFS WITH TIPPETT BEHIND THE BENCH…
AND HE HAD LOTS OF GOOD REASON…
FIRST…THERE WAS THE SEAN AVERY MELT DOWN…
SECONDLY…THE SLOW START BY MARTY TURCO…
AND THIRDLY…INJURIES TO KEY PLAYERS…SUCH AS:
BRENDAN MORROW…BRAD RICHARDS…SERGIE ZUBOV…STEVE OTT…AND JERE LEHTINEN…
JANICE SOPRANO WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE UNDERSTANDING!!!
NEVERTHELESS…DO NOT FEEL TOO SORRY FOR TIPPETT…
AFTER ALL IN THE WORLD OF NHL COACHES…HE’S A “MADE GUY”…
NO LEAGUE RECYCLES ITS COACHES MORE THAN THE NHL…
THERE ARE STILL 3 OPENINGS THAT HAVE TO BE FILLED…BEFORE THE START OF NEXT SEASON…
AND 27 OTHER HEAD COACHES…THAT GET NERVOUS…EVERY TIME THEY START THEIR CAR…
IN THE WORDS OF TONY SOPRANO…”BADA BING…BADA BOOM”…